Free Shipping For Orders $29+

Marine Depot offers FREE economy shipping for most products when you spend $29 or more! Your order will be delivered 1-7 business days after it ships out. Economy shipping methods include UPS Ground, USPS First Class, and/or SurePost. You can also upgrade your shipping to UPS Ground which speeds delivery to 1-5 business days. A shipping upgrade is $2.99 for orders under 20 lbs, $3.99 for orders 21-40 lbs, and $4.99 for orders over 41 lbs. Orders placed before 10:30 am PST Monday-Friday are shipped the same day. Free shipping is only available within the contiguous United States. Frozen foods, live foods, and items shipped directly from the manufacturer do not qualify for this special offer.

Free Upgraded Shipping For Orders $250+

Most orders over $250 qualify for FREE upgraded shipping! Your order will be delivered 1-5 business days after it ships out. Thanks to Marine Depot’s two strategically located warehouses in Nevada and Georgia, over 90% of shoppers receive their orders within 2 business using this level of service (UPS Ground). Orders placed before 10:30 am PST Monday-Friday are shipped the same day. Free shipping is only available within the contiguous United States. Frozen foods, live foods, and items shipped directly from the manufacturer do not qualify for this special offer.

$2.99 Flat Rate Shipping For Orders Under $29

Most orders under $29 ship for only $2.99 using a mix of economy shipping methods including UPS Ground, USPS First Class, and/or SurePost. Your order will be delivered in 1-7 business days after it ships out. Orders placed before 10:30 am PST Monday-Friday are shipped the same day. Our $2.99 flat rate shipping is only available within the contiguous United States. Frozen foods, live foods, and items shipped directly from the manufacturer do not qualify for $2.99 flat rate shipping.

$19.99 Fresh Frozen Food Delivery

Frozen foods are delivered 1-3 business days from the day your order ships. Frozen foods are shipped every Monday and Tuesday. Shipping cut-off is Tuesday at 10 am PST (1 pm EST). Orders received after 10 am PST on Tuesday will be shipped the following week. Shipping and handling is a $19.99 flat-rate charge so you can order as much or as little as you like.

International Shipping and Delivery

Orders not shipped within the contiguous United States—the 48 U.S. states on the North American continent south of Canada plus the District of Columbia—are considered international orders. International orders are not eligible for Marine Depot’s free shipping promotions and additional surcharges may apply. It is important to note that not all products we carry can be shipped internationally. Any brokerage fees, tariffs and/or taxes will be billed to you directly by the shipping courier. International customers must use the same billing and shipping address.

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Similar Products

In forested and low-relief riverine habitats, nutrient concentrations in the water column, itself, tend to be poor, the bulk of the nutrient pool existing within the substrate composing the river bottom; these nutrients are present primarily as a result of the continuous deposition of mineral- and organic-rich sediment being carried from upstream and from run-off. Water chemistry in such riverine habitats tends to be slightly- to moderately-acidic, and generally low in concentrations of the elements that contribute to general hardness ("GH").

These riverine environments also contain endemic plants, which constitute the majority of species commonly maintained in planted aquaria. Those endemic plants also obtain a considerable percentage of their nutrient requirements through their roots, making it sensible to utilize a growth medium in planted aquaria that facilitates delivery of nutrients to the roots, themselves, as doing so encourages strong root growth and long-term plant health. Maintaining plants, fishes, and motile invertebrates (such as the various species of shrimp that are maintained in biotope aquaria and as algal grazers) endemic to these habitats in water chemistry conditions, specifically in terms of pH and mineral content, similar to those that they have evolved in is also sensible, and is likely to have a positive impact on their collective health.

FlorinVolcanit Rio Café-XF is a natural volcanic ash that gradually lowers GH and pH to create conditions conducive to long-term husbandry of plants, fishes, and invertebrates endemic to most rainforest streams, rivers, and pools. Brightwell has formed the ash into particles resembling firm, pliable, oblong beads that are sufficiently durable to retain their shape for one or more years, depending upon the specific water chemistry in the system (a tendency towards alkaline water causes the material to deteriorate more rapidly than when maintained in water with lower initial alkalinity).

In general, no rinsing of Rio Café-XF prior to placement in a new aquarium system is required; because this is a natural material, it is possible that small pieces of wood may be present in the package

Ensure that aquarium is clean and empty (addition to an aquarium filled with water will cause temporary cloudiness)

Add Rio Café-XF to desired substrate depth; if desired, the substrate can be sloped from front to back

Mineral sand can be used to enhance the appearance of the layout if desired

Prepare a sufficient volume of water (to fill the system) by adjusting to proper pH, alkalinity, and hardness values

Slowly (without unduly disturbing the substrate) add sufficient water to the aquarium to barely cover the substrate, then commence planting and when finished (again) slowly fill aquarium to desired depth with remaining water

Due to the semi-open structure of the substrate bed and the resultantly enhanced water diffusion properties throughout, it is possible to utilize liquid supplements and microbial suspensions, instead of particulate products, for maximum control of water chemistry and best results

The fastest means of inoculating the bed with beneficial microbes is to employ FlorinBacter per the recommended instructions

Other Florin supplements can be employed as required

With time, the neutralizing capacity of Rio Café-XF will decrease and the substrate can be replaced at this time if desired

Use of alkaline buffers and pH-increasing substances will hasten deterioration of substrate

Manufacturer Info

Brightwell Aquatics Aquarium SuppliesThe goal of Brightwell Aquatics is to provide the absolute highest quality, scientifically-sound products and customer service of any aquarium water care manufacturer, and to do it all in a straight-forward and honorable fashion. All Brightwell products are formulated by marine scientists with a passion for the aquarium hobby. They utilize the highest purity ingredients in concentrations that provide the most use to hobbyists. Nearly all Brightwell Aquatics products are over 99.9% pure. The usage guidelines of Brightwell Aquatics products are written in plain language but the company is always available to answer consumer questions. All products are lot numbered for quality control and customer service.

Free, Fast, and Flexible Shipping Options

$2.99 flat rate shipping for orders under $29

Most orders under $29 ship for only $2.99 using a mix of economy shipping methods including UPS Ground, USPS First Class, and/or SurePost. Your order will be delivered in 1-7 business days after it ships out.

free shipping for orders $29+

We ship 99% of the products we carry for free within the contiguous United States using a mix of economy methods including USPS First Class Mail, SurePost and UPS Ground. Your order will arrive in 1-7 business days. Just spend $29 or more!

free faster shipping for orders $250+

Over 90% of shoppers receive their orders within 2 business using UPS Ground. Upgrade from free economy shipping to UPS Ground for only $2.99—or spend $250 and we’ll upgrade you automatically!

need your order even faster? no problem!

Expedited shipping services are available for most products if you are in a hurry. Get guaranteed delivery in 2 business days, 1 business day, or next day by 10:30 am. Costs vary by location.

buy it today and we'll ship it today

Same-day shipping is available Monday-Friday for most products—place your order by 10:30 am PST. Pre-ordered and back-ordered items do not qualify, nor do drop-shipped, live, or frozen shipments.

live plants, live foods, and frozen foods delivered to your door

We ship live plants, live foods, and frozen foods within the contiguous United States. Each of these categories is subject to its own $19.99 flat-rate shipping fee to cover the special packaging and/or expedited shipping costs required to ensure safe delivery. Orders with 12+ live plants ship free!

60-Day Return Period with Easy Online Returns

Return any new and unused item within 60 days for a full refund. Having difficulty with a product? Contact us to speak with an aquarium expert. If you need a replacement, fill out this form.

A small segment of the 180+ brands we carry require that customers contact them directly if/when problems arise. You can view the full list of those brands and get their contact info here.

We are unable to accept returns of Digital Aquatics, Neptune Systems, Vertex Aquaristik, Aqua Illumination (AI), EcoTech Marine, GHL, or Seneye products once the manufacturer's packaging seals have been broken.

Marine Depot is an authorized reseller for every product we carry. That means when you buy aquarium supplies from us, your products are not only backed by our own 60-day return policy, they also carry full factory warranties, where applicable. Some items have a 1-year warranty, others have limited lifetime warranties. Warranty coverage varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so please read the product description of the item(s) you are considering thoroughly for details or contact us if you have warranty questions.

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Enter the price, shipping cost and website address where you found the lower price. Then click the "Add to Cart" button. We will review the lower price while processing your order and make any necessary reductions before your order ships. Some restrictions apply. See Terms & Conditions